Improvement in fire-alarm signal-boxes



6. w; suAw Fire -Alarm Telegraph. No. 99,358. Patented Feb 1, 1870.

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GEORGE W. SH'AWK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GLEVE- LAND FIRE-ALARM- COMPANY.

Letters Patent No. 99,358, dated February -1, 1870.

IMPROVEMENT IN FIRE-ALARM SIGNAL-BOXES.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the, same To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. SHAWK, of Cleveland in the county of Ouyahoga, and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Telegraph Fire-Alarm; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of in case of fire, from being injured by those having 00- ca-sjon to operate it for that purpose, andwho maybe unskilfnl and unacquainted with the instrument, but at the same time allowing such to give correct signals in a simple and direct manner, without exposing the instrument to view on opening the box.

in fig. 2, A represents the case or box in which the instrument is placed, a side view of whichis shown infig. 3.

B is the outer door, and O the inside one. The relative position of said doors to each other and to the box is shown in fig. 3, in which figure they arerepre sented as being shut.

Across the lower angle of the inner door is cut a curvilinear slot, D, fig. 1, covering said slot upon the inside; and pivoted at the point a is a counterbalance curvilineal lever, E, fig. 2, the free end of which is provided with an imvardly-projecting arm, F, fig. 3, which reaches into the box across the end of the key G, whereby the instrument is wound up for signalling, as will hereinafter be shown.

It is well known that instruments of this class are frequently injured by the carelessness, ignorance, and mischievousness of those having access to them, which, as ordinarily put up, are enclosed in a box having one door only, that on being opened exposes the entire instrument to sight.

incited by curiosity, some persons having occasion to signal an alarm, handle the instrument, and, though not with evil intent, thereby displace or in some way injure it.

In order to guard against such intentional or unintentional accidents, is the purpose of this invention, which will enable any one to operate the instrument for signalling an alarm without opening the door immediately covering the apparatus. The instrument put up in each district is so ar ranged'that on depressing the key thereof, it will sound or strike the number of said district, and no 'more. Persons unacquainted with the arrangement of these instruments are at a loss to findthe key, and more especially if in the dark, hence there is occasional delay in giving the alarm, or-it is so imperfectly done that a false number is given, thereby causing confusion and delay on the part of the department.

All this is prevented by the use of the instrument,

.provided with an inner or supplementary door, 0, and

lever E, referred to, which, as will be seen, is operated from the outside of the supplementary door by means of =tl1e knob or button G, figs. 1 and 2, said button being attached to the end of the lever, at the point a, by means of thestei'nO passing through the slotin which it slides. Thus, on depressing the end of the lever, as indicated by the arrow, by taking hold of the knob and moving it to the end of the slot, as indicated at e, the-arm F, above referred to, will engage with the instrument in such way as to wind it up sufliciently to run it long enough to strike the number of the box or district, and no longer.

The counterweight H will return the lever to the first position, as shown in fig. 1, to be again operated as before, and as often as may be necessary.

By this device, those having occasion to use the in-- strument can do so without exposing it. All that is required to sound an alarm is to open the outside door B, and depress the knob, as above described; hence no mistake can be made on sounding an alarm, nor injury done to the instrument by handling it.

'The supplementary door also contributes to protect the instrument more completely from the weather, and if the rain or snow find its way'inthrough the outer door it is stopped out by the inner one; hence the apparatus will at all times be kept dry, and therefore in working order.

\Vhat I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

A fire-alarm telegraph apparatus-box or case, when constructed with an inner door, 0, for the protection of said apparatus, and provided with a counterbalanced curviliucal lever, E, for winding said apparatus, in the manner substantially as described and for the purpose specified.

Witnesses:

J. H. Bunmncn, E. E; WAIIE.

GEO. 'W. SHAWK. 

